Date: 08 Dec 2003
Time: 11:32
Following the success of the 7/8th scale Bell Eagle Eye Tiltrotor UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) prototype, Bell CEO Mike Redenbaugh has announced a major new effort to design, build and fly a new full scale Bell Eagle Eye in one year.
Speaking to a handpicked team of about 40 aerospace engineers and manufacturing and production experts, Mr. Redenbaugh said, "there is a strong worldwide interest in the Bell Eagle Eye and we owe it to our customers to develop this full scale prototype to demonstrate the full capacity of this great tiltrotor product."
Bell’s director of UAV Programmes Robert Dompka explained that, while the one-year to flight status goal is a challenge, "Bell has a great history of tackling ambitious projects with teams of dedicated employees; such as the great effort to produce the first Cobra attack helicopter back in the mid-1960s, and more recently the development of the Bell 407 commercial helicopter in less than one year."
“With its rotors in the vertical position, our Eagle Eye tiltrotor UAV can takeoff, hover and land like a traditional rotary wing aircraft. By tilting its rotors to the horizontal position, the Bell Eagle Eye can fly with the high speed and range of a turbo-prop fixed wing airplane. Also, the counter rotating design provides improved stability through the burble.”
Officials for Integrated Coast Guard Systems (ICGS) announced in February 2003 that the Bell Eagle Eye was selected for the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (VUAV) portion of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Integrated Deepwater System contract. The Coast Guard's Integrated Deepwater System is a critical multi-year programme to modernize and replace aging ships and aircraft, and improve command and control and logistics systems.